Brightest Night
by ABleedingPen
Summary: A Renesmee story. Takes place after "Breaking Dawn," about a century after, actually. Written years ago and uploaded to a different site at the time.
1. Preface

Preface

My enemy, and my mother's before mine stared at me with her blood red eyes. She tortured me and I was left to wonder what she wanted of our encounter. My blood, my torture, my death, or revenge. I held on to the charm that my mother gave to me, before she knew it was the last time I'd see her. And I let out a ferocious growl, ready to save my brightest night from being frozen over.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One - Forks

I wake from another nightmare on my birthday, it's September 10th again and I've always feared that one year I would simply not wake from my sleep. I look over my shoulder to see, my love. If that's what it is called. I've never known a love before Jacob, I'd never seen something so concrete and complete. Or pleasant. From the time I first saw him, the day of my birth suddenly he was a friend to me, and over the years, he's become more. He sacrificed for me a lot when I was young, and he had as little control over our connection than I did possibly less. He saw my mother come to near death as I was being born, the woman he loved, and he says he came downstairs to love me, though he didn't know it at the time. Then, his thoughts were focused on killing me for killing my mother, Bella. Then, suddenly, we were each other's worlds. We were wholly and completely dependent on each other.

The next three days, though, were hard; l was without my mother, and my father, as he was occupied trying to save her through transforming her into one of the immortal. My father, Edward, is a vampire, as is my mother now, though she was human while carrying and birthing me. So, my aunt, Rosalie, and Jacob watched over and cared for me for those initial three days until my mother came to consciousness in her new form. However, it was still some time before she could interact with me as the others did, because for my being half human, I still have blood, and my mother's being a newborn put me in danger, or so thought my everyone else. But, from the first time I saw her, I knew my mother was strong. She was . . . special. My mother's greatest fear of ever becoming a vampire was being a newborn, completely consumed by her bloodlust, and she skipped that phase all together.

And then trouble came to haunt my life when my mother, Jacob, and I were hunting, my mother and I for the animals' blood – we Cullens are "vegetarians," we do not feed on the blood of humans – and Jacob for the animal in all, for he is a shape-shifter who becomes a wolf at choice, for a long time confused to be a werewolf. A woman, also a vampire, saw three of us, and took my obvious being something more than human, for being a forbidden immortal child. These are vampires stuck in infantry, never aging and always killing. So, of course she ran off to tell the Volturi, the royal vampires who carry out the law of our secret world, "Keep the Secret," which is a broad umbrella that also covers, "No Creating Immortal Children." Irina, the female vampire was soon to have the Volturi and their entire guard off to kill me, and all my family. The next months I was to think that all the trouble was my fault, but no, the Volturi were just waiting for an excuse to extinguish my large and powerful family. So, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett set out to find witnesses while my mother, father, Jacob and I stayed home to tell these witnesses the story, and though I advanced very quickly and could talk at 3 months of age, I communicated through a special ability of mine to share mental images and thoughts through touch. Some of these witnesses agreed they would fight with us, if it came to that. Others thought us insane, if it is at all possible for a vampire to go insane at all.

However, once the Volturi forces arrived my mother was able to prevent a fight for some time with her gift of shielding a mental attack, which would handicap the Volturi and block their strongest offensive maneuvers. Alice, my other aunt, though, soon arrived with another like me, Nahuel, whom I learned a lot about myself from, like that I'd stop aging seven years later, when I appeared to be approximately 16 years old. Though, now I prepare for my 116th birthday, a woman who looks 100 years younger than she really is, it's what every human female wants, isn't it? My family has come back to Forks, Washington, everyone they have once known here is now gone, including my grandfather, Charlie, who died long ago. Jacob, like the rest of us, hasn't been here in a long time and is anxious to re-visit La Push, he has gone into wolf form often enough to have not aged, but he does not know if the same is true for his former pack brothers, and sister.

My heart races at the thought of Leah Clearwater, as it always does when I get jealous. Of course though, my never-sleeping family of super-hearing vampires hears this development and rush to my bedroom.

"What's wrong, Nessie?" calls my aunt, Rose, and my mother glares at her for the nickname that she absolutely detests.

"I'm fine, really. I was just thinking that's all." Jacob stirred and awoke then. It was now time for the first day of school we all supposed. Carlisle would be going off to the hospital in just two hours, and Alice had forecast that it would be a very cloudy day, so we'll all be off to Forks High School, except for Jacob, who will be going to the reservation to make sure our visit isn't fought against by any wolves who have forgotten the treaty that promises peace. My mother and father, are the last to my room, seconds behind the others, as they were in the cottage, and my room is on the third story, where my father's room was, before I was born. Their golden eyes reflect the choice that we've all made to spare the lives of humans. Of course, then along comes Alice, my mother's sister in-law, my aunt, my erratic, over the top, always-dancing, beautiful vampire aunt carrying a pile of clothes designated for everyone, based on the activities that we'll find ourselves engaged in later today, she'd know better than any of us.

"Here, Nessie. Bella. Edward. Carlisle. Esme. Emmett. Rosalie. Jasper. Jacob."

"You mean mutt," accused Rosalie. She never took a liking for Jacob, for reasons I never found. My dad sighed then, probably reading my mind. So, really, not much of my family approves of my loving a werewolf. I would never dare say this, and try my hardest not to think it, especially not around my father, but it's a little hypocritical. I mean, my mother had loved a werewolf, the same werewolf that I do even.

"So much better…" my dad whispered then. Only I knew what he meant, that I could do so much better… But, I don't want "so much better" and I need Jacob. My sunny moon. My brightest night.

"Let's go then, just a quick hunting trip before school couldn't hurt us any," added Jasper, he still struggles with "vegetarian" life centuries after being initiated into the lifestyle.

"A little fun before the tedium, I'd say."

"Of course you're up for it, Emmett," said mom, who doesn't feel like hunting obviously. Though, we all did go. There has been a scarce amount of elk, though.

It was lunchtime in the Forks High School auditorium that we smelled them. All of their noses flared then wrinkled, mine was fine, because of not being wholly vampire, the smell doesn't offend me.

"Who invited the dogs to lunch?"

"Since when do they come to school in town, weren't they supposed to stay on the reservation?"

"Oh, dear God, my nose!" I couldn't stop from laughing at my family. This certainly did shy from usual nonchalant silent spectacle of the Cullens the students were provided daily. Then our chimed sounds reached the ears of the "hounds" and our sweet smells alerted them. The Quileutes just got the message that the vampires are back in town. Then one looks over at us and gasps, and so do we, it's impossible, absolutely unbelievable, Seth Clearwater.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two – Waiting

Seth signaled the Quileute boys to stay where they were and walked over to us, wide-eyed. You could see the words in his eyes; he was scared of us being there. How? Seth scared of the Cullens, just as impossible as the Quileutes being at Forks High School.

"What do you mean, Seth?" my dad asked as he had the clearest idea of what it was Seth was looking at us like that for.

"I mean, Cullens, that you are not welcome in Forks. I love you all; you remember that. So, I don't want you all killed."

"What?" we all asked in unison. So, Seth hadn't gone insane in his last 115 years, but, the reservation had a suddenly more strict policy against vampires and he didn't want us hurt. How sweet. But what had happened to the treaty?

"What, we can't be killed. We have a treaty with the Quileutes! Damn, you mutts are so pathetic!" Aunt Rose proclaimed. Our heated discussion, though was so quiet no human ear was near enough to hear it.

"Leah thinks that you've all killed Jake, and now I see that you've also created another one of you," at this Seth pointed a gaze toward me. But I was barely paying attention after the mention of Leah, Leah who apparently so cared for Jake's vengeance that she'd set out on a 100 plus year bounty to kill the vampires. How many generations of werewolf were under her leadership?

"It's not just the wolves, the entire tribe considers Seth and Leah their immortal kings. Their gods," dad answered my unspoken question. Now my jaw dropped. Leah, a goddess? Whatever. Then I sighed for being so petty and I reached out to touch Seth. Immediately he retracted, then relaxed, then excited.

"Oh! Renesmee! It's you! You're not another vampire, well where's Jake?"

"He was supposed to be going to La Push to ensure the treaty is still in tact. What are you doing here?"

"Well, once the Cullens left there had to be some to protect the Forks humans from local vampires, so we come up every now and then to make sure no one's been drained," he said joking, but accusatively at the same time, "Well, good you're all back. Especially Jake, now maybe Leah will bring our other wolves back so we can be a pack again, she's been sending out generations of wolf packs to find you ever since you left."

"Local vampires?" _That was my question too, Dad, _I thought.

"Oh yeah. Werewolves – I mean shape-shifters," he added with a smile and my dad grinned too, "Aren't the only things out there looking for you."

"Have we really been so hard to find?" asked my mother, Bella.

"Bells? Yeah. You guys are really low key about wherever you're moving to over time, and you take planes, it's pretty hard tracking by smell through the air."

"What kind of vampires have been hunting down the Cullen clan, though?" asked Emmett, intrigued.

"Oh, don't worry Emmett, if they find you, you'll get your fight," ensured Seth, "Stefan and Vladimir, the Romanian vampires have been looking for you. They're planning a war, they think it's time to take down the Volturi."

After school we headed for the Quileute reservation to talk to Leah and make sense of this mess. I was only excited to see Jacob. Seth saw that the wolves, whom have all been 16 for ten years now, well, emotionally and mentally anyway, about 25 for ten years physically. Chris, one of the youngest of the wolves seemed to find an interest in us similar to a child to an animal it'd always been taught was dangerous. Especially when it came to Rosalie, a pretty (and vicious) vampire that is not so reserved to hide her distaste for werewolves at all.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three – Surprise

"Nessie, relax. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to Leah. If anyone were to fear her it'd be your mother. They never did take a liking to each other," laughed Aunt Alice. Uncle Jas had told her of my emotional climate apparently. "I know the others don't approve of Jake in that he smells and is occasionally rude," her bell chime voice giggles again without the awkward brokenness that a normal human does, "but he does love you with all his heart, Nessie. We understand that. Your mother and father should more than anyone else I thought." There was silence after this. We were within earshot of the others now, though of course Dad had still heard the entire conversation through our heads, but still, no need for everyone else to hear.

We as a smoothly gliding bunch crossed in front of what used to be the Swan residence to wait for the wolves, which were indeed near, we could smell them. A little blonde boy poked his head through the curtains on the second level. I saw that it was my mom's old room he was in. I tried to remember his name; although he was small he was actually our age. Or, rather the age we were pretending to be, and thus also attended Forks High School. My father chuckled, "His name is Chuck. Chuck Wilder. He's been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you all day. He's debating whether he should come out now, Nessie." I sighed and frowned at the news. I've got an admirer? That's splendid.

"Well, Nessie. I'm sure Jacob would have to worry about him more than you about Leah," added Mom from behind me. I thought she was joking but she was not. She was looking at me as if she thought she'd suddenly develop a mind reading gift. Like she wanted to know every thought I'd ever had. It was the look she gave me that reminded me how much she cared and how much she loved me as I loved her. Suddenly Aunt Alice gasped in surprise from her new vision and stared wide-eyed at my father.

"They're coming," he announced, I shrugged it off knowing he meant the wolves, "They want us to fight." Now this caught my attention, why would the wolves want us to fight? Then miles away, I searched for the scent that my family's must stronger full vampire noses had already caught. I smelled the sweet scent of a vampire, but this scent was odd in a way. I searched harder and a dangerous sense of recognition fell upon me. Stefan and Alistair had arrived.

We all ran to meet them. All fearing what they would ask of us. We knew already, of course. They wanted us to fight the Volturi, but we would not. Would we? Of course not, I can't imagine, a suicide mission, it would be. Unless of course - my thoughts veered as I caught the scents of many more less familiar vampires – they had brought, drafted soldiers, new borns.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four – War

"No," growled my dad before the two leaders, Stefan and Vladimir, had begun to talk. This was not a surprise in that his response was no, but that he said it so fiercely, so menacingly.

"Oh, now. It's not as if we've asked for your whole family, Edward," replied Stefan.

"We'd never do that," chimed in Vladimir. Oh, fantastic, they _still_ like to finish each other's sentences. Still, as annoying as that may be, another thing that hasn't come to change is their fragile looking skin, how fascinating. I wonder if this effect of staying in one place for so long is reversible.

"What do they want, Edward?" asked my grandfather Carlisle with an urgency.

"A portion of our family - Jacob, Bella, me, Alice, and Jasper, and of course if we don't supply, we'll be the victims after they're done with the Volturi."

"You must do this. You must fight with us."

"If not for freedom from the Volturi, for the safety of the rest of your family." I was not paying attention to who spoke the words, it was all a ringing in my head, these – these – vampires wanted to take my family from me! My father, my mother, my aunt, my uncle, my love…

"Its okay, Renesmee, they won't be getting to any of us, anyway. Come," said my father addressing my family to leave the Romanian clan behind us. I began to turn, but my mother seemed torn.

"Bella, please," yearned my father. I could see the force my mother was using to push her mental shield away from her head so that my father could read her thoughts. He gasped when he heard what she was thinking and she turned to the Romanians and said just this, let's make a deal.

My mom, dad, aunt and uncle left then. No one knew if they'd come back and my heart wrenched with the thought of my coming torture, I had to send Jacob after them.

Aunt Rosalie, Uncle Emmett, Grandpa Carlisle, and I awaited our wolfy escorts to La Push as Grandma Esme sat at home, unaware that when we returned, it would be without half of our family. Then, the wolves approach could be heard from the little woodsy area to our right. Seth Clearwater, Chris – the young wolf, - and three other wolves that we'd never met before emerged. All of their noses wrinkled and all but Seth were shaking, not quite violently, I could see they'd been warned of how many of us there would be, or rather how many of us there should have been. Jacob followed this group with a confused look on his face and I cried. I cried miserably.

Aunt Rosalie comforted me; I could see that she felt sorrow for me with a slight pang of jealousy. All of my family had this feeling when I cried. Every one of them, as long as they could still have their partner wishes they could cry as Jacob and I could. Jacob looked at my tears and a look of terrible pain was on his face, it only made me cry more.

"Nessie. What's wrong with you?" I ignored the thoughtlessness that went into the question.

"You have to go," I sobbed. Then I sat there, there was a cloud over everything. I shut down the sharpness of my senses so I couldn't feel the hurt. I could barely here the words being passed between the wolves and the remnants of my family. Some phrases broke through the black numbness, like "she made a deal with them," "new borns?" "just the gifted," "join them," "Wait. What kind of deal?" and "friends." I cry more, my mother was stupid, that was a stupid deal to make, as if it would ever work.

When the cloudiness was finally fading, my Brightest Night was on the trail for my family. I sat there in front of the former Swan residence and sobbed more, my patient family looked on. When you live forever, patience is easy to come by.

That's when Chuck Wilder decided to come outside and talk to me.


End file.
